News and Information

Five Ways to Boost Temporary Employee Productivity

November 22nd, 2016

Want to ensure your temporary staff is as efficient and productive as possible? Use these five tips:

1 – Determine whom you need and define required skills. Meet with managers and those who will be working with the temporary employees to determine which skills are ideal for the positions you are trying to fill. Benchmark your top performers to identify the skills that have made them successful. Finally, provide your staffing agency with as much detail about your needs as possible. The more closely a temporary matches your requirements, the more successful he’ll be on the job.

2 – Work with an experienced staffing provider. A staffing agency with experience in your industry knows how to source and screen the best talent. In addition, they will be able to help you determine things like an appropriate pay rate for a particular position.

3 – Provide a solid orientation program. Designate a core staff member to help orient temporary employees. Review information such as working hours, breaks and lunch schedules, any safety regulations or company rules, and contact information for direct supervisors. Find out what type of training and orientation your staffing agency can provide. Good staffing agencies will offer guidance on how to best bring temporary employees up to speed quickly–and they may even conduct initial training and orientation for you.

4 – Establish open, two-way communication. Make sure your temporary employees know what’s expected from them (putting expectations in writing is helpful). Encourage them to ask questions, and make sure they know to whom they should direct those questions. Your temporaries will spend more time on-task and less time looking for the answers they need.

5 – Check in regularly. Take a minute or two at several points throughout the first day to check in and gauge progress. Set specific days/times you plan to check in throughout the assignment to answer any questions and monitor progress. And if a temporary isn’t performing up to your expectations, don’t tolerate poor performance. Ask your staffing provider to replace the individual as soon as possible. While policies vary, most staffing firms offer replacement guarantees–ask your agency for more details. If you need temporary help, or just want to learn how temporary staff can help your company, contact us today